Plastic clip



Sept. 1942- c. E. MARSHALL 2,296,042

PLASTIC CLIP Filed NOV. 14, 1941 INVENTOR 62 wro/v ATToRN Patented Sept. 15, 1942 STATE S PATE OFFICE PLASTIC CLIP ClintonELMarshall, Bronx, N. Y.

Application November 14-, 1941, Serial No. 419,075.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to clipsemployed to retain pens, pencils and other articles of manufacture against displacement from a pocket or other support and the object of the invention is to provide a clip-on the class described formed from plastic material and particularly such materials having areasonable amount of spring properties and materials which may be molded or die-cast; a further object being to provide means for reinforcing pl'astic clip bodies of the character described, as well as, including means for retaining such clip bodies-in connection with the caps of fountain pens and with these and other objects in view; the invention consists-in a device of the class-'and for the purpose specified, which is simplein construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which-the separate parts of my improvement are designated. by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is aside .view ofthecap' of. afountain penfshowinggone. of my" improved caps mounted thereon with part of the. construction broken away and in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detailed view of the crossed end of a fountain pen cap showing another adaptation of the invention.

Fig. 3 is very similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of construction and Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 of th drawing I have indicated at ID the side elevation of a fountain pen cap and at l I one of my improved plastic clips. One clip comprises an elongated spring arm portion I2 terminating, at its free end in a rounded knob I3, engaging the outer wall of the cap l0, and the other mounting end M of the clip has a concaved lower surface l'5 conforming to the curvature of the outer surface of the cap and cemented or otherwise secured thereto arranged longitudinally of the arm I2 and extending into the mounting end I4, is a spring strip or rod 16. This rod can be molded or cast as an insert in the clip body I I, or an elongated bore or passage may be formed in the clip and the spring l6 inserted through the open end I! of this bore 01'' passage and the open end may be sealed by a plastic plug I8. In Fig. 2 of the drawing is shown a slight modification wherein a rein-forcing member l9 molded or cast integrally with the clip body 20 including an' angularly'extendingmounting plate 2|, which passes through a T-shaped aperture 22 in the fountain pen cap 23 and. adjacent the end wall 24 of said cap. The plate 2| has a prong 2 5 formed from the material thereof; which extends into the bore of the cap 23. Theprong 25 forceably enters a thimble shaped. retaining plug 26 upon insertion of this plug into the bore of the cap. With this construction, the necessity to cement the plastic clip 20'to the cap 23 is eliminated. It will beunderstood, however, that the cement can also be'used if deemed necessary.

In Figs. 3 and 4- of the drawing is shown another adaptation of the invention-and in this construction the clip 21 is molded or cast with a channel 28 in the lower surface thereof extending from the point 29 to the point 30 and. in this channel is arranged a reinforcing and preferably spring strip 3| which may be retained in position in any desired manner. Forexample, by applying cement to the clip at the ends of the strip 3| as indicated at 32. With this construction, the mounting end 33 of the clip becomes substantially box shaped in form that is to say, it has a closed end wall, the lower surface 35 of which is curved to fit the contour of the .cap 36, and spaced side walls 31, the lower surfaces 38 of which are also fashioned to conform with the cap 35. With the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the mounting end 32 will be cemented to the cap. It will also be apparent that the side walls 39 of the clip which extend from the mounting end 32 to the rounded end 40 conceal the strip 3| when the clip is mounted upon the cap.

It will be understood that various types and kinds of plastic materials may be employed, that is to say, plastics of the moldable type, as well as, those which can be die-cast, the latter being generally clarified as the thermoplastics, cellulose acetate being one form of such thermoplasti-cs. With some of these materials, the necessity of utilizing a reinforcing member is not essential as these materials in themselves have ample spring properties to perform the desired function. However, the other types of plastics and where relatively thin arms are employed in the clips, it will be desirable to include spring rods or strips as a part of the arm structure and the present illustrations are given to indicate a few of the possible adaptations of the invention where the reinforcement constitutes an integral part of the molding or casting or a part insertable therein.

In constructing clips of the kind under consideration from plastic materials, it will be apparent that neat and attractive appearance can be produced in the use thereof on the caps of fountain pens, and these clips may be made to match the color of the pens or in contrasting colors or combination of colors that will be in harmony with the pen structure.

A clip of the kind under consideration will eliminate objectionable features to the present metallic clips that have been used in eliminating tarnishing or discoloration of the clips which takes place after a reasonably long use thereof. Moreover the mounting of the clips is materially simplified particularly when the clips are simply cemented in position upon their support.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A clip of the class described comprising an elongated body of thermoplastic material, said body having a clamping end, the other mounting end of said bod having a concaved surface conforming to the curvature of a support to which the clip is secured, a passage extending longitudinally of said body, a resilient member arranged in said passage, said passage opening through one end of said body, and means sealing the open end of said passage.

2. In a clip of the class described, an elongated body of plastic material, a knob projecting from one side of the body at one end thereof, the other end of said body having at said side a projecting solid wall mounting portion, said mounting portion having a transversely continuous curved surface concaved to fit the curvature of a wall on which the clip is secured, and a, spring element arranged longitudinally of said body throughout the, major portion of the length thereof to points adjacent both ends of said body.

3. In a clip of the class described, an elongated body of plastic material, a knob projecting from one side of the body at one end thereof, the other end of said body having at said side a projecting solid wall mounting portion, said mounting portion having a transversely continuous curved surface concaved to fit the curvature of a wall on which the clip is secured, said body having a channel extending longitudinall thereof, and a reinforcing member arranged in said channel.

4. A clip of the class described comprising an elongated arm of plastic material, said arm having a knob at one end, the other end of the arm having a projecting part, a reinforcing member embodied in and extending longitudinally of said arm from the knob end to said projecting part, and said member having an attaching plate portion projecting from said part substantially at right angles to the longitudinal plane of said arm to engage a support to which the arm is coupled.

5. The combination with a fountain pen cap, of a clip, said clip comprising an elongated body of plastic material, a knob projecting from one end of said body to tensionally engage the outer wall of said cap and spacing the major portion of the arm from said cap, the other mounting end of said body having a concave surface transversely continuous throughout the width of said body conforming to and seating snugly upon the outer wall of the c ap, said mounting end being cemented to the cap in retaining the clip against displacement from said cap, and a spring member arranged centrally and longitudinally of said body intermediate the ends thereof and for the greater portion of the length of said body.

6. The combination with a fountain pen cap, of a clip, saidclip comprising an elongated body of plastic material, a knob projecting from one end of said body to tensionally engage the outer wall of said cap and spacing the major portion of the arm from said cap, the other mounting end of said body having a concave surface transversely continuous throughout the width of said body conforming to and seating snugly upon the outer wall of the cap, said mounting end being cemented to the cap in retaining the clip against displacement from said cap, a spring member arranged centrally and longitudinally of said body intermediate the ends thereof and for the greater portion of the length of said body, and the mounting end portion of said clip body having a projecting attaching plate adapted to extend into the cap in securing the clip to said cap.

CLINTON E. MARSHALL. 

